Last Chance to Register for the FAST Festival

Kicking off on Tuesday, July 25, the virtual FAST Festival will feature sessions on all segments of the booming FAST business; register today to make sure you receive access to our post-event White Paper delivering key intel from the event in a compact, easy-to-digest format.

Similar to the early heyday of pay-TV channels, FAST services are proliferating everywhere, boosted by the low startup costs compared with the old days of setting up a 24/7 channel to shop to operators. And lower launch costs have meant FAST channels can be über-niche, from services devoted to nothing but true crime or romance dramas or preschool shows to ones built around single IPs and personalities.

With FAST coming up in almost all of our conversations with distributors over the last few months, we knew it was time to extend our portfolio of successful virtual events into this space, and we made sure to explore every corner of the ecosystem. From the connected TV operators setting up FAST channel services to AVOD platforms accelerating their linear TV launches, we have a slate of sessions focused on what these platforms are looking for. We’ll hear from distributors of scale about how they are working with FAST channels, either through licensing or creating their own outlets. Companies with a long history in pay TV are eagerly embracing the FAST arena. We have dedicated spotlights on the factual and kids’ opportunities in FAST, and a look at the new tech solutions that are helping to power the rapid proliferation of services worldwide. You can see the agenda, including speaker biographies, here.

The FAST Festival is set to feature a dedicated kids track with two powerhouse keynotes. On Tuesday, July 25, Chris M. Williams, the founder and CEO of pocket.watch, will share with delegates the role that FAST plays for the company as it builds content from the creator economy into multiplatform brands. On Wednesday, July 26, Common Sense Networks CEO and co-founder Eric Berger will discuss the role that the company’s Sensical-branded FAST channels play in its multiplatform offer for kids.

Factual content distributors are benefiting from the proliferation of FAST channels. Our FAST Facts session on Wednesday, July 26, will see Autentic’s Dr. Patrick Hörl, Blue Ant International’s Solange Attwood and Albatross World Sales’ Lisa Schelhas discussing the opportunities they’re pursuing in the factual FAST channels business.

From single-IP brands for long-running shows to services devoted entirely to crime dramas or rom-coms, there’s plenty of opportunity for scripted content distributors in FAST. Fremantle’s Jens Richter, NBCUniversal’s Matt Schnaars and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Decker are among those set to deliver keynotes on their approaches at the FAST Festival, which will also feature insights from leading platforms, including Pluto TV’s Olivier Jollet, Tubi’s Adam Lewinson, Samsung TV’s Jennifer Batty and Aline Jabbour and Rakuten’s Marcos Milanez.